Milites de Cruce
by IridescentHeart
Summary: Since ancient times there has been demon and their world, Umbra Mundi. To counter the threat of demons, the organization of demon hunters, Milites de Cruce was created. For centuries, the line between the two has been clearly drawn, but for one hunter, the line becomes blurred as the past returns in a new form. Quickly, reality shatters and a dangerous love and mystery arises.
1. Milites de Cruce

A/N: Hello there! I'm Iri and I'm here to introduce Milites de Cruce (Knights of the Cross) Um, it is an AU fic and therefore there maybe some OOC moments, though I tried my best to keep their personalities the same. I do hope this fic goes well, even got myself a beta reader, my lovely ~**PurpleNurples, (Papa Pony)** Sooooo yeah, I'll stop talking now so you can read on. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~

Warning: This fic has Male/Male relations so you have been warned.

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Milites de Cruce

It was their hour of entertainment as they so called it. The late evening where the sun is finally gone from view and the only light in the dark world was just the spotlight of the moon. Of course the normal world knew nothing of this dangerous hour, for they were oblivious to the underground world that lived in secret within human reality.

The underground world, called the Umbra Mundi, consisted of demons; demons that ranged from mischievous creatures to bona fide heartless killers and anything that lies between. They roamed the world since the age of man, having been created and groomed under man's constant sins of the mind and body. Demons live off of every dark thing that lives in humanity: madness, greed, lust, murder, intoxication, self-indulgence, and many more. In their hands, these soulless creatures have the power to seduce, possess, and enact evil actions. Nothing is below a demon's morals. They love chaos.

Most humans don't know of these beings that lurk in the shadows. However, there are special humans that have the power to both see and defend against the demons. This fairly large group of organized demon hunters has existed since the discovery of demons and has made it their duty to keep the Umbra Mundi in line. It has grown into an international organization with branches stationed in every country and city. To monitor each country, three heads are appointed in each country branch with the task to oversee the activities of city branches. All heads must report to headquarters, which is an ever nomadic and grand cruise ship, called Anima, which sails around the seven seas.

For centuries, the organization, known as Milites de Cruce, has sworn to slay the demons and protect humanity. No one has strayed from the life as a Milites de Cruce, all dying under the oath to slay, protect, and free humanity from fear and danger. These specific ideals were followed by a certain man: Masato Hijirikawa.

The young male pulled his coat tighter, ducking his head into the warm collar to ward off the cold breeze. Strapped to his back was his katana, made of pure silver. At his waist under his coat were a few daggers for emergencies. One would think carrying weapons without any inhibitions was careless and would go against the code of secrecy. However, when Masato moved to Tokyo to take over the city's branch, he learned quickly that the people of Tokyo are very flamboyant and dense. If someone saw his weapons, they would simply think he was cosplaying or starting up a new style and beg for pictures. Masato rarely worried about hiding his weapons now, which was beneficial since it cut out the time needed to pull them out of layers of clothes or cases. Demons are quick; one wasted second and it could be the end of your life.

Wrinkling his nose, Masato paused in his trek, glancing at his surroundings. The tattoo on his side was giving off waves of heat, matching the beat of his heart. The magical properties in the clan markings were alerting him that a demon was close. Hopefully it was the one that had been plaguing his territory for the past two weeks. From reports and recent crimes and deaths, he had concluded it was a powerful shapeshifter. Apparently it liked to take on the form of a large wolf as the chewed up and mangled bodies had exemplified. When the demon first showed up, Masato instantly sent out a team to dispatch it, however the opposite happened and the team was taken down. After causing more chaos and killing another team, Masato decided to take matters into his own hands and take on the demon himself.

Born into one of the three head families of Japan, Masato's whole life has been nothing but Milites de Cruce. The Hijirikawa family was very prominent within the Milites de Cruce, actually being one of the founding families of the order. Therefore, he was trained since he could crawl; he even held a dagger before he could hold a pencil. Masato's father was a tough man, drilling Masato until the young man would collapse from exhaustion. Due to Masato's more feminine looks, dark blue hair that fell to his chin and just above his large purplish eyes, pale skin, and a lean figure, many believed he would end up frail and incompetent. However, Masato proved all the speculation wrong, growing up to be a young prodigy who mastered both the bow and katana and even earned the position as city head at the young age of twenty. Many respected him, many envied him, and many more feared him. Either way, he was the pride of the Hijirikawa family and the heir since he was the oldest and the only son. He has a younger sister, Mai, but women of the order are expected to marry and raise children. Of course, since times have changed, women are now allowed to become fighters if they chose, but most tend to raise the next generation. Though that fact doesn't change the tradition of many of the old families such as the Hijirikawa family, women are forbidden to become knights in such families, which is a relief to Masato. He wouldn't be able to think properly if he knew his sweet little sister was out here risking her life to battle demons.

A lone howl broke the silence of the empty street, snapping up Masato's attention. His side burned greater, making him place his hand on the tattoo that marked the skin there. The demon was close…it was heading his way. Narrowing his eyes, Masato reached behind him and took hold of the blue hilt of his katana. He faced the dark alley that was just a few feet from him, getting into a low stance. His mind went blank. Nothing invaded his thoughts as he went into the zone of demon hunting. One distraction and it could be the end of his young life.

The howl sounded again, echoing off the dirty walls of the buildings around the young hunter. It was getting closer. By the sound of the heavy footfall and deep breathing, Masato could tell it was a big demon heading his way. Great.

_Five._ The beast caught his scent. _Four._ Another howl. _Three._ It started to run faster. _Two._ Red eyes and deadly canines appeared in the shadows. _One._ Masato unsheathed his katana in a clean swoop as the demon flung itself out of the alley. Sword and claws met with a deathly clang, the impact vibrating Masato's bones. Gritting his teeth, Masato pushed back on the demon, sending it staggering backwards with a growl. It landed a few feet away, shuffling on all fours and staring at Masato with glowing red eyes that called for his blood. Slowly it began to walk to the side, prompting Masato to do the same so the two were walking in a circle, eyeing each other.

Like he was led to believe, the shapeshifter's wolf form was quite large, almost like a bear. It had a black coat with some areas matted with blood. Its claws were long and wickedly curved, making light tapping sounds on the concrete below. The beast's teeth were long and sharp and there seemed to be rows of them, glistening with the endless supply of drool that dripped from its maw. Disgusting.

"Little hunter," The beast called out, seeming so unnatural since it was in wolf form. "You look like a tasty morsel."

Masato said nothing has he continued to match the other's slow pace. There was no way he was going to let him get close.

"Do you even know how to use that?" The demon, who Masato now presumed to be male, did a series of growls and huffs that must have been a laugh. "Why don't you put that down and give up? I might even be nice and play with you a bit; give you some pleasure before you die."

In response, Masato gripped his katana tighter. Like hell he would put down his sword and get defiled by a demon. "I did not come here for games, demon."

If possible, the shapeshifter smiled which showed off more deadly teeth. "Very well, I'll make you submit."

Quicker than the normal eye could see, the demon pounced, jaw wide open and aimed at Masato's neck. However, Masato saw the demon's actions clearly and easily dodged to the side, bringing his sword around to swipe up at the demon. It angled its head and bit down on the sword, stopping its deadly arc. The shapeshifter yanked on the katana, but Masato held a firm grip. If it wasn't made out of silver, the sword would have snapped in half. Still gripping the hilt of the katana in his right hand, Masato reached into his coat and with a snap of his wrist sent a silver dagger into the beast's neck. The demon reeled back in a howl of pain as the combined pain of the sharp dagger and the silver penetrated its defenses. Silver is the weakness of all demons, thus all of Masato's weapons were made out of the precious metal.

As the shapeshifter clawed at the dagger, Masato flicked off the pungent saliva that was on his sword and ran after the injured beast. He ducked under a swiping claw to come up underneath the beast's jaw, gliding his weapon upwards to slice from the abdomen all the way up to the throat before he raised his fist and pushed the dagger deeper into the beast's neck.

The pained yowl filled the abandoned area, the wolf fumbling backwards as blood poured from its wounds. However, the silver was beginning to seep into the demon's veins, solidifying whatever air and blood that was there as it made a steady track to its heart. Once there, the silver would attack the heart, forcing it to stop beating and finally turning it to ash while the demon's body would be fundamentally turned to stone and die. It's a slow death compared to beheading or fire, but it still gets the job done if you stay and make sure the demon doesn't rip off the infected areas.

Blinded by rage and agony, the demon randomly began to swipe its claws around and snap its jaws. Sensing the danger, Masato prepared to jump away, however he only had time to raise his katana to block a swipe that would have clipped his side. By blocking that strike, Masato failed to notice the demon swooping in with its mouth of sharp teeth until they clamped down on his shoulder.

"AH!" Masato yelled in pain, arching his back as the agony went through his whole body. The teeth sunk deeper, penetrating muscle and scraping against bone. Masato could feel the warm, sticky liquid soaking his clothes and it took all his nerves not to pass out from the blood loss.

With sweat pouring down his face, Masato rearranged his hold on his katana so he held it sideways and with a small grunt, swung his katana, slicing the beast's paw and continuing the momentum to bury his blade into its neck. The teeth released his now torn shoulder as the wolf let out a choked howl.

Masato stumbled back, placing his hand over his bleeding shoulder. His vision was swimming with black spots and his balance was becoming less and less stable. He wouldn't be able to continue on like this if the beast didn't go down, especially since his weapon was currently lodged into his opponent's throat. The silver veins were almost all over the beast's body; the toxic substance must have reached its heart by now.

With a hiss, Masato fell to one knee, bowing his head as he clutched onto his injured shoulder. The pain and blood loss was putting a toll on the young man's body. He wouldn't be able to defend himself. He had two daggers, but with his cloudy vision and shaking body, he wouldn't be able to aim right. Damn. This is how he dies? By a shapeshifter in an abandoned street? Masato wasn't even city head for a year! What will his father do? The Hijirikawa line will die off. His is older now and his mother is too sick to bear another child that may or not be a son. He's going to let the whole family line down. He was going to die.

The demon was starting to stagger towards Masato, eyes holding the itch for revenge. Its claws seemed to grow larger and even more lethal. Masato lowered his other knee so he was now kneeling. There was a puddle of blood around him. This is how it ends…he's going to die. The heavy breaths of the demon could be felt on his clammy skin. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He could feel the claws ascending over his head, poised for a final strike. _My only regret is that I didn't save you._

With his final thought, Masato waited for his death, for his final breath. However, when it didn't come as swift as he thought and instead a heavy thump greeted his ears, Masato opened his eyes. His vision was so blurry and he kept going in and out, but he could see the dead demon before him, his head missing completely. His foggy mind felt a jolt of surprise, trying to piece together what happened but failing as it started to shut down.

Dimly he heard a fluttering and saw black loafers and jean-clad legs settle by the beast's body. Masato tried to raise his head, but his head swam greatly and he swayed to the side, his eyes closing. Warm arms caught him before he hit the ground. A familiar scent of cinnamon and pine hit him, causing memories to stir. He opened his eyes and looked up at the out of focus face above him. Blue eyes and blonde hair…his lost mind was really trying to make his death a bittersweet ending.

With a hoarse chuckle, Masato released his shoulder to clutch at the image of the man he must have conjured up with his dying mind. His blood smeared on the black silk shirt, but who cares, it was just his imagination.

Masato closed his eyes once more, for good this time. "I never got a chance to say I'm sorry…" He took a shuddering breath and let his last word fall like a whisper. "_Ren." _Then he slipped into the ocean of darkness, barely hearing the reply he got.

"Masato…"

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Hope it was to your tastes~

R&R to give me your opinions.

Well, until next time XD

-Iri~


	2. My Imagination

**A/N: Weeeelll hello to all you people that have been waiting for ever for an update. Lol. I actually had this chapter written a long time ago, I just never gave it to my beta to beta it. Yeah I know I'm a fail, but I just forgot. PLUS when I finally got the chapter back adn beta-ed, I forgot to upload because I was to busy having feels about UTAPRI SEASON TWO! Ahhhhhhh! Anyways, this isn't much really so sorry about that. I'm hoping to have chapter three up faster than this chapter since I already have half of it done. Okay well let's get on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Uta no prince-sama because if I did, there would only be Renmasa...With a little Ranmaru sprinkled in there. Ooooh yeah. **

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_My Imagination_

"_Masato."_

_Said boy of only eight years old looked up at his father, his face set and waiting for the older man to speak. He wanted to look at the people that were sitting on the opposite couch. One was a man that was about his father's age and the other was a young boy who looked about Masato's age. Despite his rather impassive face, Masato was hoping to get a chance to talk to the fellow child. Since he had a strict up bringing and basically trained all day and night, he rarely got a chance to interact with other kids, much less see them. _

"_Masato." His father continued, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him so he could see the two guests. "This is Mr. Jinguuji and his son Ren Jinguuji. Their family is also a head of Japan."_

_Masato took the prompt and bowed in greeting. "It is very nice to meet you, I am Masato Hijirikawa." His father squeezed his shoulder, proud of his manners. _

_The older man with light blonde hair inclined his head to Masato and smile. "Like wise Masato-kun." His brown eyes looked up at Masato's father and crinkled with amusement. "Very polite son you have."_

"_Thank you." _

"_I think I might need to send Ren to you for manner lessons." _

_The two fathers chuckled at the statement and Masato took a glance at the young blonde who was slouched on the couch. His blue eyes looked bored and he was propping his chin on his fist. If anything he seemed to be very aloof and indifferent to those around him. It was as if he would rather be somewhere else or with someone else since he was leaning away from his father. As if sensing the stare, Ren slid his cool blue eyes over and connected with Masato's violet ones. Embarrassed for being caught, Masato ducked his head quickly, a blush forming on his cheeks. _

_The first time he meets a kid his age and he makes such a blunder! How stupid of him! Taking a chance, Masato glanced back to see Ren staring right at him. His cheeks only brightened in color upon seeing the intense blue stare. He gasped silently when the blonde boy cracked a small smile. It was a charming smile._

_Ren moved his lips, forming soundless words that Masato had to think hard to catch. _

'_Let's be good friends.'_

_Masato's eyes lit up with excitement as he nodded his head. Ren smiled once more then looked away before their fathers tuned back to the children in the room. _

_Mr. Jinguuji rose from the couch and beckoned for Ren. Together the two Jinguuji's headed for the front door while the two Hijirikawa's following after them. The older men exchanged good byes as a car waited for Ren and his father. _

"_Ah, I'll make sure to let Ren come over to visit Masato." _

"_Likewise Jinguuji-san."_

_Masato peeked around his father's side to meet Ren's eyes as he got into the car. He gave him another smile and Masato waved back slightly. _

_Ren Jinguuji, his new friend._

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Masato awoke with a start, sitting up fast and immediately regretting said action as pain tore through his shoulder and shot down his spine. He reached up and clutched at it, frowning at the feeling of the white bandages. What? When did…oh.

It all came back; the mission to find the demon, engaging it in fight, feeling its teeth sink deep into his shoulder, almost dying and…and…Ren?

Wait. No. That couldn't have been Ren; he was gone, taken away years ago. Masato ran a hand through his disheveled hair. More importantly, where is he?

He looked around and took in the whiteness of the room; white wall, white floor, and white bed sheets, along with that medical smell, Masato assumed he was in an infirmary...but how did he get here?

A glint of silver caught his attention and he turned to look in the corner, seeing his katana perched against the wall. Wanting his weapon in this unfamiliar place, Masato scooted over in the bed, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He swung his feet over the edge and got up on shaky feet. Why did it feel like he hadn't walked in days? Using the wall for support, Masato reached his katana and picked it up. Instantly he felt better having a weapon to use if he was attacked.

Once again, he looked around the room and didn't notice anything that screamed danger. Although, he wished he had some clothes; just being in boxers alone was a bit too much exposure for Masato's conservative tastes.

Slowly, the young male shuffled over the door on the other side, wincing at the cold tile that met his bare feet. As he reached for the door knob, it started to turn, making Masato jump back and start to draw his katana despite the screaming pain in his shoulder.

"Masa-AH!"

Masato stopped the blade just inches from his blond friend's throat. The taller male stared at the katana, gulping once before he laughed nervously and placed a hand on the blade, pushing it away. "It's good to see you too Masato-kun~"

Said male sighed and relaxed, leaning back against the wall as he tried to breathe through the pain in his shoulder.

"Your shoulder?"

Masato didn't respond, but the blonde male knew that it was a silent yes. He placed the set of clothes he was holding down in a chair and turned back to help Masato into bed. The male let out a small hiss as he was eased back under the covers.

"You're lucky; the doctors had to use a lot of healing powder when they repaired you're shoulder. If it was any worse you're whole arm—"

"Natsuki." Masato interrupted, not wanting to know that he was close to being less one limb. "Where are we?"

The blond male tilted his head slightly, his green eyes looking thoughtful behind his glasses. "Oh, a Milites de Cruce hospital of course. It's basically a hidden wing within Tokyo Hospital."

Masato nodded. He didn't know this place existed and he had been living in Tokyo for a year as the city head. When he gets out of here, he'll have to research on M.D.C institutions. "How did you find me?"

"I didn't."

The blue haired male raised an eyebrow. "Then how did I get here."

Natsuki frowned and scratched his nose. "Well, apparently, when one of the hospital workers was leaving for the night, they tripped over your unconscious body. No one knows how you got there, just that you were one breath away from death."

Masato fell silent, eyebrows drawn together in deep thought. Obviously he didn't walk here if he didn't even know this place existed. Plus, he's certain that he fell unconscious at the scene of his fight. Then how…the image of Ren came back to his mind. His eyes went wide and his heart rate picked up as his mind went into a tizzy. Was it possible that Ren had actually been there...had save his life and brought him to the hospital? But... how?

"Masato-kun?" His blond friend leaned down, a worry expression on his handsome and well-defined face. Masato blinked up at Natsuki, eyes wide and lips parted. Immediately, Natsuki place a hand to Masato's forehead, his inner panic rising. Masato never looked that vulnerable. Something must be deathly wrong with his friend of five years and superior for one. The blond began to look around frantically, wondering if it would be faster to run and get a nurse or just yell for help.

Just as he was about to settle on the latter, Masato slapped Natsuki's hand away, his face going back to its normal set and stoic expression. "I'm not dying."

"Oh thank goodness." Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Then what's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"But-"

"Nothing."

Natsuki wanted to push it, but that cold glare Masato sent him made the male shiver and value his life more than his curiosity.

An awkward silence fell between the two comrades as Masato went back to his warring thoughts and Natsuki watched his friend with a worried expression. After several minutes passed by, Natsuki broke out into a huge smile, reverting to his usual overly, energetic and carefree self. "I bet you're hungry. I mean, you slept for three days."

That snapped Masato out of his stupor. "Three days?"

"Un-huh."

"…" Masato dropped his head into his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose, grumbling low about how much work he missed and something about his father. Natsuki grimaced at the mention of Masato's father. That man is a piece of work. Natsuki had met him once when he visited Masato and it was a visit that scared the poor blonde for life. Natsuki shivered at the mere thought.

"Hey, don't worry about that. You'll get it all sorted out." Natsuki reassured with a bright smile. "Plus you have me to help and Syo-chan!"

The young leader nodded and sighed heavily but raised his head to give a slight smile. "Yeah, thank you Natsuki." Even though at times, Natsuki can be overwhelming, Masato valued his friendship and presence. Ever since he met the man five years ago when he was fifteen and Natsuki was sixteen, Masato couldn't help but befriend the guy. They had met at a young hunter's boot camp. To tell the truth, if Natsuki never came along, Masato might have been more closed off than he was now. After all, he was still reeling from the incident.

"Anytime!" The twenty-one year old bounced up and handed Masato the clothes. "Will you need any help?"

"No, thank you."

"Okay I'll wait outside."

Masato nodded, smiling lightly as Natsuki skipped out the door, closing it softly behind him. Sometimes he wondered how that childish male could be one the most feared hunters in all of Japan. Maybe it's because the monster strength he has, yet seems to not know. The Shinomiya family always had strong male and females. Masato will never forget the time Natsuki had actually picked up a fallen tree that had trapped Syo and threw it like it weighed nothing. It was both exiting and fearful to watch.

With a sigh, Masato proceeded to get dressed, hissing every time he had to move his shoulder. The burning sensation was almost enough to make the male forgo dressing and ask Natsuki to just bring him his breakfast. However, Masato's dignity was not something he took lightly. Therefore he pushed through the process. As he sat down to put on his shoes, he gave a moment of pause. They were black; the same color as the shoes that landed near the shapeshifter's body. Immediately, Masato dropped them, his hand shaking.

A faint whisper filled the quiet room, making Masato snap his head this way and that, trying to find the unknown force. Greeted with just the white walls, Masato slumped down, staring at the black shoes as he tried to clear his head with logical thinking. Ren had disappeared when they were kids almost eight years ago. There was no way that he could be alive. Masato saw him being dragged away with his own eyes, a sight that still came to him in his darkest dreams.

Masato closed his eyes and clenched his hand to stop it from shaking. _Ren is dead. It was all just my imagination. _He repeated those words in his head over and over again as he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. After a moment of silent chanting, Masato put on his shoes, trying not to fully look at them so as not to think back to that night.

Light knocking sounded followed by Natsuki's concerned voice, asking if he was alright.

"I'm coming." Masato called back, keeping his voice even.

He hopped down from the bed and repeated his chant once more as he walked to the door and joined his friend that was on the other side. Even Natsuki's usual chatter couldn't silence the little voice that countered his continuous chant.

"_Then who brought me here?"_

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**A/N: Welp I hope you enjoyed. R&R and until next time~**


	3. Umbra Mundi

**A/N: WELL HELLO! Hahahaha I know I'm late especially since I said that I would have this chapter out soon. However, I had lost my muse for it and I just couldn't write. OTL. But then I kept getting such wonderful reviews telling me that the story is good and that I should continue. SO I finally got up and wrote like the wind. LOL. This chapter and maybe the one after it might be the end of filler information you know just to set a background. THEN The actions starts! Yes that includes RenMasa action for those of you who are waiting. So bear with me and we'll get through this together! And a shout out to my Beta, Purplenurples, who I woke up early this morning by accident because I was excited about finishing the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own UtaPri in away way for or fashion.**

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Umbra Mundi

With elegance, the blonde haired demon stepped out of the portal and onto the cracked, black cobblestones that made up the road before him. As always, he scrunched up his nose at the decay and darkness that greeted him after coming from the human world, where everything was so new and bright. However, he had entered Umbra Mundi, Shadow Land, the home of all demons. Like the name implied, the demon world was just a shadow of the human world, made up of everything that the human world wasn't. Instead of modern and stable architecture, there were ancient and rickety structures. Where everything was bright and filled with light in the human world, the demon world was dark and filled with shadows. Unlike, the constant noise in the human world, the demon world only had silence with the occasional maniac laughs or moans of agony. Umbra Mundi was a place of destroyed, evil, and lost souls; a place that only harbored things of depression, madness, and anger. And to think, this very land used to be better than it was now.

Even if it was at it lowest, the blue eyed male could never fully get used to the demon world even after he spent almost a decade in it. He missed his old life as a mortal, with all the colors, life, and pleasant emotions, but he knew that he could never rejoin that world.

Keeping eyes trained forward, the young demon walked down the cobblestone road, his footsteps echoing off the condemned looked buildings. He didn't pay attention to the shadows that moved along with him, most attracted by his looks and sensuality. During his mortal life, the blonde was quite the looker with his dark blonde hair and deep, bright blue eyes. However when he was changed into a demon, he became more handsome and attractive. It was an added affect of becoming a Death Angel. His looks became finer, chiseled, with masculinity in every lean muscle that was under tanned skin. His voice became hypnotic, having the power to stun and control anyone or anything. His scent of pine and cinnamon turned into a drug as it lured his victims to him without any effort.

Eyes could entice with a sparkle, a touch can send pleasurable heat, and a smile could break even the strongest will. In essence, he was the ultimate predator, his body being the ultimate weapon. That's why only one Death Angel can exist at a time, they are too dangerous and lethal to both mankind and demons, including the Demon King. That's also why Death Angels are automatically vassals of the Demon King, subjected to obey each order, with forced punishment when they disobey.

Death Angels have all the power but limited freedom. It's the price to pay. However it's not as if the current Death Angel is complaining. He has fell into his life of being a dangerous and important demon. He was just glad that he could take his frustrations out on killing the lower demons that were becoming out of hand and rambunctious just because the throne is currently vacant. It was starting to become a great problem.

"Ren!"

Blinking out of his deep thoughts, said demon stopped in his steps and looked up to see the red haired wolf demon bouncing towards him. Immediately, Ren smiled and greeted the familiar male with his usual nickname.

"Ikki~ What are you doing?"

Stopping before the blond, the younger demon breathed heavily as he regained his breath and smiled at his friend. "I was heading to the castle when I saw you. I was going to check up on Cecil an see how the search…" The wolf demon trailed off, his black dog-like ears pressing down on his head in sadness as both were reminded of the current situation and the missing person. Of course, compared to Ren, the absence of the Demon King hit the red haired male harder.

Ren reached out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll find him soon Otoya."

Sniffling, Otoya Ittoki nodded once before he took a deep breath and went back to his usual optimistic self. He grabbed Ren's hand and began to pull him along the path to the castle that was situated at the end of the road. "Ah, how was your trip? Did you find the rouge?"

"Indeed I did." Ren said with a hum of approval. "Though a nice hunter had did most of my job when I got there." Even though he said with such flippancy, Ren inwardly felt a beat of affection towards the hunter he saw three days ago. He had never meant to see that face again in his demon lifetime, but then again he never meant to be turned into a demon. Luckily, though rather frightening, Masato was close to death so there was a great chance he didn't even remember that Ren showed up. Ren knew he should hope that, yet he also wanted Masato to remember, to know that he was still alive. When Masato had whispered his name while he was in his arms, he wanted to break open and tell so many things he never got the chance to say while he was still human. It was a fickle desire.

"Ren? Ren!?"

"Uh?" The blond haired male looked down at his concerned looking friend. "I'm sorry Ikki what did you say?"

Not letting up his concerned gaze, Otoya slowly repeated himself. "What about the leads?"

"Dead ends."

Once again, Otoya's expression became crestfallen. In their search for the Demon King who disappeared almost five years ago, Cecil and Ren had been exhausting resources day in and day out to find even a broad location on where the King might be. However, everything up to this point has failed. And to add onto the stress, the rebellious groups of demons were becoming bolder and bolder each day, defying the rules and trying to overthrow the whole Umbra Mundi system. Unlike what the hunters think, Umbra Mundi doesn't just blindly go off and kill, pillage, and rape, nor are they required for demon survival. In fact, they are crimes just like in the human world as declared by the Demon King who had been ruling for a good century. This had caused unrest among the greater demons that sought pleasure in such acts.

Of course no one dared to touch the Demon King that is until almost a decade ago when the Death Angel at the time started to lose his powers thus weakening the tri-regime. That's when a rebellion group became known and when Ren was transferred the powers of Death Angel, the rebellion group started to do their own thing, breaking all the laws. Then, the day after the Demon King killed ten of the rebellion group members, he went missing without a trace, leaving behind chaos. Of course, Ren as the Death Angel and Cecil as the Warlock and the default controllers of Umbra Mundi try to keep everything in line, but they just don't have the power to rule a bunch of demons.

For the rest of the walk to the castle, neither male said a word. The guards at the gates nodded in respect to Ren and Otoya as they opened the gates for the duo and let them pass. The castle was a medieval style castle, with tall towers, dark bricks, wide windows, and wooden doors. It was both beautiful in a strange sense and scary in a literal sense.

Ren and Otoya walked down the path in the middle of the courtyard that was filled with old willow trees and chipped stone statues. The constant fog that hung about because of the pond covered the dead grass that crunched under their feet.

At the large oak doors, Ren took hold of the handle and calmly pushed the heady doors open. He allowed Otoya to go in first, before following and closing the doors after himself. Their steps sounded through the long hallways as they clacked against the marble floors. The red walls were decorated with old tapestries and oil paintings of previous Demon Kings and significant events within Umbra Mundi's history. The only light was the torches and lanterns that lined the walls in-between the art.

As they reached the end of the hall where the walls spread out to make a grand round shaped room, they heard the familiar mumbles of the brown skinned warlock who was hard at work. He was to the left of the base of the empty obsidian throne, sitting on the floor which was decorated by an intricate dark purple rug with silver and black trim. Before him was a large bowl filled with water that was giving off strange scents like jasmine and spice as steam floated from it and passed between his hands that were raised above it.

Remaining quiet as the warlock did his magic, the two other demons got settled in the room. Otoya went up the dais and plopped right down next to the throne, his fingers longingly fingering the cool stone. His tail sadly swished from side to side before wrapping securely around his waist. Ren watched him for a moment, feeling bad for the younger male, but not knowing how to cheer him up. Ren only knew what it was like to lose a best friend, not a lover.

The Death Angel wandered to the corner of the room and leaned against the wall. He stared at the multicolored smoke that was drifting up from the incense the warlock had around the big bowl of water that was in front of him. The smoke was filling the room, making more shadows that flickered across the stone walls. The scent of vanilla and smoky pine filled the air, making Ren's sensitive nose itch uncomfortably. He reached up and rubbed at his nose, glancing over at Otoya who had begun to sneeze uncontrollably. Ren contemplated the idea of telling Otoya to go step outside until the warlock was finished with his rituals, but he knew it would only be a waste of time as the wolf demon wouldn't want to leave his post at the base of the throne.

Leaning his head back against the wall, Ren stared up at the ceiling. He entertained the thought of how it would feel to be in Otoya's position at the moment. To miss, worry, and long for a single person to the point of borderline depression. It was a scary thought to actually think about even though Ren couldn't fully place himself in such a mindset.

Maybe it would have been a lot easier when he was a human and allowed himself to feel such raw emotion, but now as a demon, he had to keep his emotions to a minimum, almost to no existent. Yes, he has had the cardinal desires and has expressed them on anyone who was willing, but the desires of the heart? No, he doesn't have one anymore. Why should something that doesn't deserve love, torture themselves by having such feelings? It was a stupid thought to consider in Ren's eyes.

Yet, it was there. In the back of his mind, it was there sitting and waiting. A box that had been dusted off and was rattling with the repressed feelings that had been stirring since he saw a certain blue haired demon hunter.

Ren has been trying to deny it all, trying to chain back up what he had pushed away for so long. However, he can't deny that seeing Masato there, bloody, wounded, and near death, a protective and loving feeling surged through him. At first, the blond had thought to just stay in the shadows and let it run it's course. After all he's been absent from the World of the Living for years, he was presumed dead and that's how Ren wanted it to stay. He didn't want his family to know that he was one of the things they resented. He especially didn't want Masato to know.

However, when he saw Masato just kneeling on the ground, head bowed and accepting of death, the blond acted before he could think. The next thing he knew, the beast was slain by his own hands and he was kneeling down to catch a fainting Masato. Ren had thought that the male had fallen unconscious, so he was very much startled when hands had gripped at his shirt and hazy deep blue eyes stared up at him.

_"I never got the chance to say I'm sorry...Ren."_

The blond didn't know what to say, his automatic response being the name of the other as his eyes slipped closed. In normal situations, Ren would have panicked, thinking that Masato was dying, but he had felt the hunter's heart beat. It was weak, but it had been there. The Dark Angel had held Masato for a couple more minutes, staring at his face, before he got in motion and took the wounded hunter to the nearest hunter hospital, depositing him at the back entrance and leaving after taking one more fleeting look.

Ren didn't stick around after that, knowing that he had interfered enough. He was already hoping that Masato wouldn't remember seeing him, or that he would just think it was an illusion of the mind. It would have been best for them both.

The blond demon had then went back to the sight of the fight, in order to find some clues, but was shocked to see that everything was clean. The dead demon was gone. His weakness for Masato had caused him to loose his only lead he had to find the Demon King.

The sound of the dark skinned warlock sighing, brought Ren back to the present. He looked away from the ceiling and settled his gaze on the Warlock who was now looking frustrated and defeated. Obviously he had not found anything new in his seeing ritual.

"Just where can a bunch of ruffians hide the Demon King?" The Warlock asked no one in particular, venting his frustrations by running his hand through his dark hair. "I can't see him, or track down his power! It's like they wiped him off the grid. Like they killed him!"

At the mention of kill, Otoya whimpered slightly, gripping at the throne a little tighter.

"Of course that's impossible." Ren immediately interjected, raising a knowing eyebrow at the Warlock when he looked over at the Death Angel. "The Demon King can only be killed by me or himself. Right Cecil?"

At first the Warlock looked confused, but when followed the motion of Ren's head, he immediately caught on and nodded in earnest. "Right and both options are ridiculous."

They were both trying their best to comfort the left behind lover, but the crestfallen expression was telling them that it wasn't working.

"Otoya, we'll find him." Cecil soothed, walking over to the red head demon and sitting down next to him. He placed a comforting hand on the male's shoulder, offering a small smile. However, this time, the usually bright wolf demon didn't give one back, instead opting to stand up abruptly and silently walk out the room. The warlock and Death Angel, watched the red head leave, frowns both marring their faces. They both could see that Otoya was starting to loose his hope, which was understandable since the Demon King has been missing for almost five years now. In those five years, Umbra Mundi has started to fall, the whole order of the hierarchy crumbling bit by bit. Everyone knew that if the Demon King isn't found by the end of this year, Umbra Mundi will be turned upside down permanently, The World of the Living will be in peril to disorderly demons, which will all result in a war between demons and hunters.

Silence befell the two left in the room, each thinking the same thing. Finally it was Cecil that broke the silence as he look to Ren with a knowing look. "Dead end?"

"As always."

"What happened?"

At this, Ren paused for a moment, mulling over his words which caused the tanned warlock to raise a curious eyebrow. "A hunter got in the way." It wasn't the complete truth, but it also wasn't a lie. A hunter did get in the way, but Ren was the one that killed the demon.

Cecil studied Ren for a moment, his jade eyes showing that he wasn't fooled. However, he simply nodded his head and stood up, his green and gold robes, fluttering slightly. "Did the hunter take the body?"

"No, someone else did."

"What?"

The blond sighed and nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "I had to leave for a moment and when I came back, the demon's body was gone. I guess it's partner in crime picked it up."

Lips pursed, Cecil ran a hand through his hair. "I watched portal activity ever since you left and no one opened one." He announced, backing up a conclusion that the two had long ago suspected, but had refused to actually think possible. "The portal you opened today is the first one since you left."

"Someone could have left before then..."

Cecil shot Ren an exasperated look, not believing the blond's words. "That would be a possibility, that is if they never came back."

The Death Angel frowned. A cold shiver went down his spine as the impossible started to become the possible. Even though Ren wasn't a hunter anymore, he still felt a pang of obligation to deny anything that could ruin that organization's name. However, he had to face the facts.

"That demon was meeting up..."

"With a hunter." Ren finished softly.

The Demon World was being turned upside down and seemed that a hunter was trying to do the same to Milities De Cruce.

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**A/N: I do hope you enjoyed and it was up to your standards!  
**

**As always please leave a review, they really help motivate me! Thank you!**

**~Iri out!**


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